


Jerkface Dance 2: The Jerkfacening

by UnsubstantiatedAssertion



Series: Times Sarai Embarassed Her Parents [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Father's Day, Future Fic, Gen, Inspired by the Dinosaurs sitcom, Rayllum (The Dragon Prince) - Freeform, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, no seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24836983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnsubstantiatedAssertion/pseuds/UnsubstantiatedAssertion
Summary: Callum has returned the Dragon Prince, learned primal magic, defeated Viren and Aaravos, and helped end an endless war. So why is getting his six-month old daughter to go to sleep proving to be a greater challenge than anything he's faced before?He may have to resort to desperate measures.A one shot in honor of Father's Day, loosely inspired by an episode of the old Jim Henson Television Dinosaurs show. No, really.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Times Sarai Embarassed Her Parents [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810951
Comments: 9
Kudos: 87





	Jerkface Dance 2: The Jerkfacening

**Author's Note:**

> I've been having a pretty huge writer's block lately, I think in part just stress from all the many, many problems the world's having right now. But I came up with this idea months ago and realized it would be perfect for Father's Day. That deadline motivated me to write at least this much. So happy Father's Day!
> 
> Update: Changed the spelling of jerk-face to jerkface since finding out that's how its spelled in the episode transcript on the TDP wiki.

He'd done everything. He changed her. Fed her. Changed her again. Made funny faces. Sang her a lullaby that King Harrow used to sing to Ezran and him (well, mostly Ezran, he was just in the room too). But at least an hour and a half later, Sarai would not go to sleep. Callum was at his wit's end.

"I can handle this on my own," he'd told Rayla when Sarai's bedtime came. Rayla spent the day demonstrating Moonshadow fighting techniques to some new recruits for the crownguard. Her exhaustion once the lesson ended was palpable, so Callum told her to go sleep and that he would would take care of getting their daughter to bed.

Callum looked out the window. It was pitch black outside.

"It is so far past your bedtime," Callum said to the squirming half-elf in his arms.

He lowered Sarai into her crib. Sarai cried in protest and Callum grimaced. He checked the door behind him, which connected his and Rayla's room to Sarai's nursery. He'd closed the door so Rayla could sleep without disturbance, and so she wouldn't realize how little Callum was managing to "handle this on his own." The door remained shut; Rayla was still asleep.

For a moment, Callum thought of admitting defeat and waking up Rayla to ask for help. He shook his head. He was the prince of Katolis, the first human archmage, a devoted husband and now a new father, he _could_ handle this.

"Shh, come on, its bedtime," Callum whispered soothingly. "Time to close your eyes and wander off to dreamland. Time to dream about jelly tarts, and, and..." he trailed off, as it was clear from Sarai's crying that his words weren't helping.

For a second time, Callum thought of getting Rayla. He started to turn around and even made it a step away from Sarai's crib and towards the door before stopping himself. Callum groaned and slapped his palm against his forehead. "What kind of jerkface can't even get his own kid to go sleep?"

At that remark, Sarai replaced her crying with giggling.

"Huh?"

Sarai stared up at him, clearly expecting something.

Callum stroked his chin while trying to figure out what he'd done to provoke such a reaction.

"I'm a jerkface?"

Sarai giggled again.

"Jerkface."

More giggling.

Callum chuckled. Sarai's mirth was infectious. He hadn't thought about being a "jerkface," or that ridiculous dance, in years. Ezran promised never to invoke it again after what happened the last time all three of them visited the Silvergrove. Callum shuddered just thinking about it.

"You think its funny when your dad calls himself a jerkface?" Callum cooed. Sarai's continued laughter proved that yes, she did find it quite funny.

An idea came to him. One borne from a mixture of desperation and getting a little too caught up in the shared joy of the moment.

"Well, if you think that's funny, then get a load of this!"

Callum was a little rusty after a multi-year break, but from Sarai's reaction, his jerkface dance hadn't lost any appeal. She laughed as hard as a baby could, so hard that Sarai began to tire herself out.

After fifteen minutes, her giggles trailed off and Sarai finally drifted asleep. Callum surveyed the crib with his hands on his hips, panting from exertion. He smiled at a job well done.

"Bravo," a voice half-whispered from behind him.

Callum jumped and whipped around to shush whoever it was before they woke Sarai. Mortification sunk in when he came face to face with his wife.

"How much of that did you see?"

"Enough," Rayla smirked.

She led Callum out of the nursery, both taking one last glance at Sarai before gently shutting the door.

Rayla held her hand over her mouth, but it did little to hide her repressed laughter.

"Laugh it up, but it got her to go to sleep," Callum said as he crawled into bed.

"I know," Rayla laid down next to Callum and kissed him goodnight, "tha's _why_ I'm laughin'. She's gonna want a repeat performance tomorrow night. And the night after. And the night after tha'..."


End file.
